Pyrenees: Ceret

A nice 24 km MTB ride in the Pyrenean hills between Ceret and Vives with a stop in the beautiful monastery of saint Ferreol. The hills are afforested and in the valleys lots of vineyards or cherry orchards. Its worth a visit during the cherry blossom season in March – April.

During or after a rainy season, most of the little streams will be full of water, and even if you can't see them you will hear the wonderful sound of the dripping water.

You start in the main parking area of Ceret, continue into the well signed “voie vert”, and after the bridge that crosses the Tech river you start to climb. Its a narrow and serpentine paved road. Not much of traffic but sporadic cars drive here, and it might be hard to hear them approaching, so be aware.

After a climb its the turn of a downhill. And then uphill again. This time there are two short rides on a busy road (not a highway but there is a constant traffic).

Reaching saint Ferreol you can have a rest and view on one side, 30 km away, the Mediterranean sea and on the other side - the 2850 meter summit of the Kanigo (usually snowy till June).

Coming down from saint Ferreol you have two options (see image with red 1 & 2 marks):

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• Dirt road as trail marked on the map below - this is the easy option

• Via a single trek FOR EXPERIENCED MOUNTAIN BIKER ONLY– which you take to your left immediately after you start to descend from the parking lot (the one that is the most adjacent to the monastery). Yellow sign on a pole “To Ceret” as in the picture. Its a technical and steep single, so not for anyone. Also be careful since its also a trail for hikers that go up. See Map of the single HERE

Both ways takes you down to the “voie vert” (not to the same point on it though) and from there an easy ride back to Ceret through the beautiful old bridge on the river Tech.

 

All in all for medium level mountain biker it should take less than two hours including a drink stop in saint Ferreol